Please check the silkscreen version number on the mainboard to confirm your development board version. For v1.0 version development boards, please refer to ESP-VoCat v1.0; For v1.2 version development boards, please refer to the current user guide.
This guide will help you get started with ESP-VoCat quickly and provide detailed information about this development board.
ESP-VoCat is an intelligent AI development kit. It is suitable for voice interaction products that require large model capabilities, such as toys, smart speakers, and smart central control systems. The device is equipped with an ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 module, a 1.85-inch QSPI circular touch screen, dual microphone array, and supports offline voice wake-up and sound source localization algorithms. Combined with the large model capabilities provided by Amazon Nova, OpenAI, Xiaozhi AI, Gemini, etc. ESP-VoCat can achieve full-duplex voice interaction, multimodal recognition, and intelligent agent control, providing a solid foundation for developers to create complete edge-side AI application experiences.
ESP-VoCat’s main controller uses the Espressif ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R16VA module, supporting 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 (LE) wireless connectivity. For storage, the entire device has 16MB PSRAM and 16MB Flash storage space, and is also equipped with a microSD card slot that can support up to 32GB, meeting the needs of voice interaction and multimedia processing. It features a 1.85-inch circular touch screen (360 × 360 resolution) with ESP32-S3 native touch sensors, providing an intuitive and rich interactive experience.
For audio, ESP-VoCat has a built-in 3W speaker and dual microphone array, supporting local voice wake-up and sound source localization. The power system is compatible with 5 V DC and 3.7 V lithium battery power supply. Additionally, it integrates a USB-C interface for power supply and programming download, while reserving a Pogopin interface for convenient functional expansion.
ESP-VoCat Front View (Click to enlarge)
ESP-VoCat Back View (Click to enlarge)
The document consists of the following major sections:
Getting Started: Overview of the board and hardware/software setup instructions to get started.
Hardware Reference: More detailed information about the board’s hardware.
This section provides a brief introduction of ESP-VoCat, instructions on how to do the initial hardware setup and how to flash firmware onto it.
Description of Components
ESP-VoCat CoreBoard PCB Front View (Click to enlarge)
ESP-VoCat MicBoard PCB Front View (Click to enlarge)
ESP-VoCat BaseBoard PCB Front View (Click to enlarge)
ESP-VoCat Front View (Click to enlarge)
The following introduces the main components on the front PCB in clockwise order. For user convenience, we have also labeled these components or interfaces on the ESP-VoCat housing.
Main Components
Description
CoreBoard
ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R16VA
Main controller chip, integrates 16 MB Flash and 16 MB PSRAM, supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 (LE) wireless connectivity.
Battery Connector
Battery connector for connecting 3.7 V lithium battery, top is positive, bottom is negative.
LCD FPC Connector
For connecting 1.85-inch circular LCD screen with 360 x 360 resolution. For detailed parameters, please refer to the Display Specification.
MicBoard Connector
MicBoard PCB connector, connects dual microphone array and status indicator LED.
Touch Connector
Touch connector for connecting touch copper foil to achieve touch interaction functionality.
Speaker Connector
2-wire speaker connector for connecting built-in 3 W speaker.
MicBoard
Green LED
Green LED indicator.
MIC (Microphone Array)
Dual LMA3729T381-OY3S microphone array, supports local voice wake-up and sound source localization functionality.
BaseBoard
BQ27220 (Battery Management Chip)
Battery management chip for battery level detection, charging management, and power status monitoring.
TP4057 (Lithium Battery Charging Chip)
Lithium battery charging chip for charging lithium batteries with 250 mA charging current.
CoreBoard Connector
CoreBoard PCB connector, connects core board with base board.
TlV62569 (DCDC Chip)
Buck converter chip for converting 5 V power to 3.3 V power, providing stable power supply for the system.
SAM8108 (Power Control Chip)
Power control chip for controlling device power on/off. Single click of POWER button can toggle power on/off status.
Type-C (USB-C Interface)
USB-C interface for power supply, programming download, and debugging, supports charging lithium batteries.
ESP-VoCat CoreBoard PCB Back View (Click to enlarge)
ESP-VoCat MicBoard PCB Back View (Click to enlarge)
ESP-VoCat BaseBoard PCB Back View (Click to enlarge)
ESP-VoCat Back View (Click to enlarge)
The following introduces the main components on the back PCB in clockwise order. For user convenience, we have also labeled these components or interfaces on the ESP-VoCat housing.
Main Components
Description
CoreBoard
NS4150B (Class D Amplifier)
Ultra-low EMI, filterless, 3W mono Class D audio amplifier.
ES7210 (Audio Decoder Chip)
High-performance 4-channel audio decoder chip, supports I2S/PDM/TDM data ports.
SY8088AAC (DCDC chip)
Buck converter chip used to convert a 5 V power supply to a 3.3 V power supply, providing stable power for the Codec.
BaseBoard Connector
Base board connector for connecting base board with CoreBoard.
BMI270 (IMU - Inertial Measurement Unit)
6-axis intelligent low-power inertial measurement unit for high-performance applications.
ES8311 (Audio Codec Chip)
Low-power mono audio codec with high-performance multi-bit Delta-Sigma audio ADC and DAC.
MicBoard
FPC Connector
Connects MicBoard with CoreBoard FPC connector.
BaseBoard
M1.6 Welded Nut
For fixing main board to housing.
RST Button (Reset Button)
For resetting the main board.
Magnetic Connector
For functional expansion, provides a serial port and 5 V power interface, can connect to rotating base and other devices.
POWER Switch
For controlling device power on/off. Single click of POWER button can toggle power on/off status.
BOOT Button
When powering on, hold this button to enter download mode.
SD Card Slot
Supports up to 32 GB microSD card slot for storing audio, images, videos, and other data.
Start Application Development
Before powering on, please ensure ESP-VoCat is intact and undamaged.
Required Hardware
ESP-VoCat
USB data cable
Computer (Windows, Linux, or macOS)
Note
Be sure to use an appropriate USB cable. Some cables are for charging only and do not provide the needed data lines nor work for programming the boards.
Hardware Setup
Use a USB data cable to connect ESP-VoCat to your computer through the Type-C(USB-CInterface) for firmware burning, debugging, and power supply.
Software Setup
Please proceed to ESP-IDF Get Started to set up the development environment and flash an application example onto your board.
Note
In most cases, USB drivers required to operate the board are already included in Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems. Some additional port access or security configuration may be required depending on your OS. In case of issues, please check documentation on how to establish serial connection with the board. The documentation also includes links to USB drivers applicable to boards produced by Espressif.
Espressif provides Board Support Packages (BSPs) for various Espressif boards that help you initialize and use key onboard peripherals, such as LCD displays, audio chips, buttons, and LEDs, more easily and efficiently. For a complete list of supported boards, please visit esp-bsp.
Development board application examples are stored in the esp-brookesia project.
Hardware Reference
Block Diagram
The block diagram below shows the components of ESP-VoCat and their interconnections.
ESP-VoCat Block Diagram (Click to enlarge)
Power Supply Options
There are three mutually exclusive ways to provide power to the board:
Power through Type-C(USB-CInterface)
When using this method, connect the device’s Type-C interface using a USB Type-C data cable. If a lithium battery is installed, you need to press the POWER button to enable power supply to the device.
Power through MagneticConnector
When using this method, connect the device to the corresponding magnetic connector base to power the device. If a lithium battery is installed, you need to press the POWER button to enable power supply to the device.
Magnetic Connector (Click to enlarge)
Power through Battery
The device has an integrated 3.7 V lithium battery. Press the POWER button to power the device.
Any of the above external power supply methods can charge the internal lithium battery.
Type-C Interface
Type-C Interface Circuit Diagram (Click to enlarge)
Magnetic Connector Interface
Magnetic Connector Interface Circuit Diagram (Click to enlarge)
LCD Interface
LCD Interface Circuit Diagram (Click to enlarge)
Please note that the CN3 interface is reserved for other screen compatibility and is currently not enabled.
The U2 interface is the officially used LCD screen interface. The screen model used by this development board is ST77916, LCD: 1.85”, 360 x 360, ST77916, QSPI Interface. LCD_BLK (GPIO44) can be used to control screen backlight.
SD Card Interface
SD Card Interface Circuit Diagram (Click to enlarge)
Please note that the SD card interface supports:
1-wire SD bus configuration
Communication through SDIO protocol
Power Switch Circuit
Power Switch Circuit Diagram (Click to enlarge)
Charging Circuit
Charging Circuit Diagram (Click to enlarge)
Battery Management Circuit Diagram (Click to enlarge)
Microphone Interface
Microphone Interface Circuit Diagram (Click to enlarge)
Hardware Revision Details
ESP-VoCat v1.2
The following pins have been reassigned:
U1RXD: Changed from IO5 to IO4
U1TXD: Changed from IO6 to IO5
I2S_DI: Changed from IO15 to IO3
PA_CTRL: Changed from IO4 to IO15
LCD_RST_CTRL: Changed from IO3 to IO47
TOUCH interface increased from 1 to 2 for sliding touch sensing:
TOUCH_PAD1: IO6
TOUCH_PAD2: IO7
Added CODEC power control:
CODEC_PWR_CTRL: IO48
Added IIC expansion interface:
Added HC-1.25-4PLT interface: Exposes VIN, I2C_SDA, I2C_SCL, and GND
